Statement by Lezlee Westine, President & CEO, Personal Care Products Council, on Proposed FDA Reorganization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:     

Lisa Powers, powersl@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 297-1232
Stefanie Harrington, harringtons@personalcarecouncil.org, (202) 615-6558  

Statement by Lezlee Westine, President & CEO, Personal Care Products Council, on Proposed FDA Reorganization

Washington, D.C. – “The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support its mission to protect consumer health and to understand better how the FDA’s proposed reorganization could impact cosmetics and personal care products regulation. As we have in the past, we stand ready to collaborate with the Agency and other stakeholders to ensure any reorganization enables the beauty and personal care industry to continue to provide innovative, safe and effective products while maintaining consumer trust.

“PCPC’s current priority is to work with the FDA to effectively implement the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) of 2022. This historic legislation gives the FDA additional tools to ensure cosmetics’ safety and to protect public health, reinforcing consumer confidence in the products they trust and use every day. MoCRA also brings the FDA’s oversight of the beauty and personal care sector more in line with other categories the agency regulates and helps contribute to global regulatory alignment. We look forward to working with FDA Chief Scientist Namandjé Bumpus, Ph.D., who will be leading the effort on MoCRA’s implementation as cosmetics and personal care products will now reside in the Office of the Chief Scientist within the Office of the Commissioner. We believe the Commissioner’s decision is the right one.

“Our industry will work with the FDA as it moves forward with the proposed reorganization, and contribute our expertise to support appropriate cosmetics and personal care products regulation. We recognize the importance of transparency in regulatory decision-making and will continue to advocate for a transparent, science-based and risk-based approach to regulation.”

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For more information on cosmetics and personal care products and their ingredients, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org.

Founded in 1894, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the voice and advocate for 600 member companies representing the $529.3 billion global cosmetics and personal care products industry. PCPC’s members represent approximately 90% of the U.S. beauty industry and are some of the most beloved and trusted brands in beauty and personal care today. As the manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on every day – from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, makeup and fragrance – PCPC’s member companies are global leaders committed to product safety, quality and innovation.

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Transparent, Accountable and Purposeful: Our Journey Towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

By Michelle Shands
Director of Human Resources and Office Services, PCPC

It’s been nearly three years since George Floyd’s senseless murder. Businesses across the nation promised to take meaningful action to combat the systemic inequities and injustices plaguing our society. The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) understands the importance of playing a significant role in creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI) world. As the director of HR and Office Services and a Black woman working in the trade association sector, I know my voice is critical in advancing my organization’s commitment.

At PCPC, we are intentional and thoughtful about our organizational changes and initiatives, deeply diving into our practices, impact and internal dynamics. We took a good, hard look at ourselves and engaged expert consultants, and DEI and social justice advisors to facilitate challenging conversations with our CEO, staff and Board of Directors. Through organization-wide town hall meetings and one-on-one discussions, we talked, listened and reflected on what we learned.

But we didn’t stop there. We took decisive action to make real change. We are working to ensure our employees have more opportunities for growth and development, enhancing transparency and accountability, aligning our external activities with our organizational and internal DEI goals, and embracing an intentional posture that clearly defines racial justice, equity, diversity and inclusion for PCPC. By remaining focused and purposeful, we have updated leave benefits and refined our recruitment process. And we are are working toward a more transparent approach to salary and promotion decisions and investing in leadership development to ensure our employees are ready to advance – whether at PCPC or other organizations.

Although it hasn’t been easy, we remain steadfast and proud of our hard work. While others may have acted faster, we knew laying a solid foundation was necessary to build lasting change. We have made significant strides but recognize that our work is far from done. We will continually evaluate our internal systems, practices and policies to ensure they align with our DEI goals and course-correct when necessary. Moving forward, we remain committed to listening and learning, even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. We know that true progress requires vigilance and willingness to adapt.

It’s not about meeting quotas or checking boxes but building a culture of inclusivity that permeates every aspect of our organization. We are actively working to embed DEI into the fabric of our organizational culture, not just in how we do business but in how we treat each other and our wider community.

I am proud to work for an organization committed to making a real difference. I am grateful for the opportunity to lend my voice to this essential work. The conversation around DEI is long overdue, and while it took a tragedy to spark it, we will not turn back.

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